IS AYAKA STILL WORTH IT? Updated Ayaka Review | Genshin Impact 3.5

Summary

In this video, the focus is on Ayaka's rerun banner in Genshin Impact 3.5, discussing her worth as a character and her current meta status. The analysis covers Ayaka's performance in freeze teams, her strengths in boss battles, and her viability in various team compositions. The video also touches on the impact of dendro on the meta and provides insights into Ayaka's potential with different support characters and artifact sets.

Takeaways

• 🌨 Ayaka is getting a rerun banner in Genshin Impact version 3.5, and her worth is being discussed in terms of Primo gems investment.
• ❄️ Ayaka is considered the best freeze carry in the game, excelling in teams that can utilize the freeze mechanic effectively.
• 🗡 Her Elemental Burst is a significant source of her damage, especially against frozen or boss enemies that can't be displaced.
• 💠 The Blizzard Strayer artifact set is highly beneficial for Ayaka, providing a substantial Cryo damage bonus and critical rate boost.
• 🤝 Ayaka pairs well with other Cryo characters for Cryo resonance, starting with a high critical rate even without artifacts.
• 🛡 Freeze teams offer comfort and ease of play, allowing players to group and deal with enemies without taking damage in return.
• 🌬 The meta has shifted towards more boss enemies that can't be frozen, affecting Ayaka's performance in certain situations.
• 💧 Mono Cryo teams are a viable alternative when freeze isn't an option, with characters like Shenhe providing significant damage buffs.
• 🗝 Ayaka has a flexible playstyle, fitting into various team compositions, including reverse melt and burst Cryo support roles.
• 🛡 The introduction of Dendro reactions with Cryo has created new team possibilities, enhancing Ayaka's utility in diverse elemental reactions.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is to discuss Ayaka, a character in Genshin Impact, specifically her viability, strength, and whether she is worth investing Primo gems in, considering the current and changing meta of the game.

Why is the video split into two sections?

The video is split into two sections because Ayaka is a Cryo DPS character, and her performance varies significantly in teams that can utilize the Freeze reaction versus teams that cannot, such as against boss enemies or in situations where enemies cannot be frozen.

What are the key artifacts recommended for Ayaka in a Freeze team?

The key artifacts recommended for Ayaka in a Freeze team are the Blizzard Strayer set, which provides a 50% Cryo damage bonus and a 40% critical rate, effectively equating to an 80% critical damage boost.

How does Ayaka's Elemental Burst contribute to her strength in a Freeze team?

Ayaka's Elemental Burst provides a significant amount of burst damage that is front-loaded and continuously slashes at enemies in front of her. This ability is particularly effective against frozen enemies or boss enemies that cannot be displaced.

What are the advantages of running a Freeze team in Genshin Impact?

The advantages of running a Freeze team include the ability to use the powerful Blizzard Strayer artifacts, the Cryo resonance bonus when pairing with another Cryo character, and the convenience of being able to group and freeze enemies, allowing for easy combos without taking damage.

What are the potential upgrades for Ayaka's team that can increase her damage output?

Potential upgrades for Ayaka's team include characters like Kazuha for increased Cryo damage through his passive talents, Sucrose as a good replacement for Kazuha, and Shanha for significant damage buffs to Cryo characters.

How does the Spiral Abyss's shift towards boss enemies affect Ayaka's viability?

The shift towards boss enemies in the Spiral Abyss affects Ayaka's viability because these enemies cannot be frozen, which is a key strength of her Freeze teams. This may lead to a preference for Mono Cryo teams or other team compositions that can perform well against single targets.

What is the role of Shanha in Mono Cryo teams?

Shenha plays a significant role in Mono Cryo teams by buffing the damage of Cryo characters through her kit, making these teams more effective, especially when Ayaka is the main DPS.

What alternative team compositions are mentioned for Ayaka besides Freeze and Mono Cryo?

Alternative team compositions mentioned for Ayaka include Reverse Melt teams, where she can be used to support other Cryo or Pyro characters in melting reactions, and a Hyperbloom team, which combines Cryo, Dendro, Electro, and Hydro elements for a variety of reactions.

What is the significance of the Blizzard Strayer set being available in the artifact wish?

The availability of the Blizzard Strayer set in the artifact wish is significant because it allows players to farm for this set more easily, providing a passive way to improve Ayaka's build without the need for dedicated farming runs.

What is the overall recommendation for investing in Ayaka based on the video?

The overall recommendation is that if you enjoy Ayaka's playstyle and are willing to invest in her, she is a strong DPS character, especially in Freeze teams, and can be a worthwhile pull. The video suggests that her power level can vary depending on the team composition and upgrades, but she remains a viable and enjoyable character to use.

Outlines

00:00

🗡️ Ayaka's Rerun and Meta Analysis

The video discusses the upcoming rerun banner for the character Ayaka in version 3.5, focusing on her viability as a character and her strength in the current meta. It addresses the changes in the meta due to the introduction of dendro and the shift towards boss enemies, which impacts Ayaka's performance as a cryo and freeze carry character. The video is structured to evaluate Ayaka's performance in two scenarios: when freeze is effective against enemies and when it's not, particularly against bosses. The speaker also mentions a change in audio quality due to a new interface and invites feedback on it.

05:01

❄️ Ayaka's Performance in Freeze Teams

This section delves into Ayaka's role as a cryo DPS in freeze teams, which are considered her best configuration. It explains that while Ayaka has a solid normal and charged attack, her elemental burst is where most of her damage comes from, especially against frozen or boss enemies. The video highlights the benefits of running the Blizzard Strayer artifact set for increased crowd damage and crit rate, as well as the advantages of cryo resonance when pairing Ayaka with another cryo character. It also touches on the accessibility of Ayaka's teams, mentioning that she can be built with free-to-play characters and weapons, but also has a clear upgrade path with characters like Kazuha, Shenhe, and Kokomi/Mona for further damage potential.

10:03

🌬️ Mono Cryo Teams and Ayaka's Versatility

The final paragraph shifts focus to Ayaka's performance in mono cryo teams, which are recommended when enemies cannot be frozen. It acknowledges the weaknesses of mono cryo teams, such as the lack of freeze convenience and the reduced effectiveness of the Blizzard Strayer set. However, it also points out that mono cryo can be effective, especially with characters like Shenhe, who can significantly boost damage. The video suggests that while Ayaka is strong in freeze teams, she remains a viable option in mono cryo teams, particularly against bosses. It also briefly mentions other team compositions, such as hyperbloom teams, which combine cryo with dendro reactions for additional effects. The video concludes with the presenter's personal endorsement of Ayaka, recommending her to players who enjoy her playstyle and are willing to invest in her, as she can be a strong DPS character with the right support.

Keywords

💡Ayaka

Ayaka is a character in the game Genshin Impact, known for her Cryo elemental abilities, making her a strong DPS (damage per second) option. In the video, the discussion revolves around her viability and strength in different team compositions and game meta shifts. The script mentions her as the 'best freeze carry,' highlighting her ability to lead teams that utilize the freeze status effect to control and damage enemies.

💡Primo gems

Primo gems are in-game currency in Genshin Impact used for summoning characters. The video considers whether Ayaka is worth investing these valuable resources in, given her performance and the current state of the game's meta. The script discusses the potential return on investment for players considering using their Primo gems to acquire Ayaka.

💡Meta

In the context of the video, 'meta' refers to the most effective tactics available in the current state of the game. The discussion includes how Ayaka's strength and utility have been affected by changes in the game's meta, such as the introduction of new elements like Dendro and shifts towards boss-focused battles, which can impact her effectiveness.

💡Dendro

Dendro is a new element introduced in Genshin Impact that interacts with other elements in unique ways. The script explores how Dendro might affect Ayaka's playstyle and team compositions, particularly in combination with Cryo for potential new strategies and synergies.

💡Cryo DPS

Cryo DPS refers to characters that deal damage using the Cryo element. Ayaka is highlighted as a top Cryo DPS character. The script discusses her abilities, especially her Elemental Burst, which is a significant source of her damage output and is particularly effective in freeze teams.

💡Freeze teams

Freeze teams are compositions in Genshin Impact that focus on applying the freeze status to enemies, which halts their movement and allows for concentrated damage. The video discusses Ayaka's role in these teams, emphasizing her strength when paired with other Cryo characters to maximize freeze potential.

💡Blizzard Strayer

Blizzard Strayer is an artifact set in Genshin Impact that provides bonuses to Cryo damage and critical rate. The script mentions this set as a key component of Ayaka's optimal build, allowing her to start with a high critical rate and deal significant damage through the freeze reaction.

💡Monocryo teams

Monocryo teams are compositions that focus on a single Cryo character, in this case, Ayaka, to deal damage without relying on freeze reactions. The video discusses the strengths and weaknesses of monocryo teams, especially in situations where enemies cannot be frozen, and how they compare to freeze teams.

💡Shanha

Shanha is a character in Genshin Impact known for her ability to enhance Cryo damage. The script mentions her as a significant upgrade to monocryo teams, including those centered around Ayaka, due to her passive talents that increase Cryo damage output.

💡Melt reactions

Melt reactions in Genshin Impact occur when Cryo and Pyro elements interact, dealing additional damage. The video briefly touches on the possibility of using Ayaka in a team that focuses on melt reactions, although it is not her primary playstyle. This showcases her versatility in different elemental reactions.

Highlights

Ayaka's rerun Banner is coming up in version 3.5, raising questions about her current meta status and worthiness of investment.

Ayaka is considered a top-tier Cryo DPS, particularly in freeze teams, making her a valuable asset in certain team compositions.

Her Elemental Burst is a significant source of damage, especially effective against frozen enemies or bosses that can't be displaced.

The Blizzard Strayer artifact set is ideal for Ayaka, offering a substantial Cryo damage bonus and critical rate increase.

Cryo resonance with another Cryo character boosts Ayaka's critical rate, simplifying her build with a focus on crit damage and attack percent.

Ayaka's accessibility is enhanced by her compatibility with free-to-play weapons and the availability of the Blizzard Strayer set in the artifact strong box.

Investment in characters like Kazuha and Shenhe can significantly upgrade Ayaka's performance in freeze teams.

The Spiral Abyss's shift towards boss enemies affects Ayaka's utility, as her freeze mechanic is less effective against non-freezable targets.

In situations where enemies can't be frozen, mono Cryo teams become Ayaka's best option, showcasing her adaptability.

Shenhe's presence in a mono Cryo team greatly enhances Ayaka's damage output due to her elemental skill and burst synergy.

Ayaka's flexibility allows her to fit into various team compositions, including reverse melt teams and burst Cryo support roles.

Cryo and Dendro synergy is underrated, offering potential for unique team compositions that capitalize on multiple reactions.

Ayaka's power level is contingent on the teams and upgrades used, with a clear upgrade path for players who wish to invest.

The video provides a nuanced view of Ayaka's strengths and weaknesses, advising players to consider their preferences and resources before investing.

Ayaka's accessibility and the ability to build her around free-to-play options make her an attractive choice for players on a budget.

The video concludes with a recommendation for players who enjoy Ayaka's playstyle to feel confident in pulling for her, especially with the right investments.

Transcripts

so as you guys know ayaka is getting her

rerun Banner very shortly in version 3.5

and so in today's video I want to talk

about just that I want to talk about

ayaka and if she's worth your Primo gems

how good she is as a character and if

she is still meta and still very strong

given how The Meta has changed since she

came out with both the release of dendro

and also the sort of shift to more boss

enemies and more unfeasible targets

which can greatly change how you play a

cryo and freeze carry like ayaka and so

we're going to cover all of that in this

video and if my mic sounds different I

got a new interface so let me know if it

sounds better or worse I guess but with

that said let's get right into it

alright so starting things off let's

actually talk about icon how good she is

now the way this video is gonna work is

gonna be a bit unique given the fact

that ayaka is a cryo DPS because of that

this means that her best teams are going

to typically be freeze teams and while

there are some others like primarily

monocrow teams the fact that she's so

good in freeze teams makes me have to

split this video into two we're first

gonna talk about how good she is when

freeze works against enemies that can be

Frozen and then we'll talk about her

strength when enemies can't be frozen

against boss enemies is in other teams

than freeze both of these sections are

going to be very relevant as if you want

to get a DPS character they're typically

going to be someone that requires a lot

of investment and that you're going to

be using a lot which means you need to

know how good they are in pretty much

every situation against all types of

enemies as the enemies present in the

spiral Abyss do change very regularly

alright so starting things off let's

talk about freeze teams ikai is widely

regarded to be the best freeze carry and

while there are some situations where

God you can be better notably event he

works generally speaking I would agree

with that as ayaka is amazing in free

steams when they work in fact she has a

pretty solid normal and chargeback but

what makes her especially good is going

to be her Elemental burst which is where

the majority of her damage comes from

real metal burst is a huge amount of

front loaded burst damage that will just

constantly slash the enemies in front of

her this ability Works especially well

either against enemies that are frozen

or against boss enemies that can't be

displaced as sometimes enemies that can

get knocked back like these Geo Bishops

that you're seeing can sometimes make

you like Miss some hits of your burst

but overall if you can group enemies and

freeze them or against boss enemies that

don't really get knocked back then your

burst is really powerful other than that

there's many reasons that make ayakai a

pretty strong character but a lot of

them do stem from the fact that she can

be used in a freeze team free streams

when they work are usually very powerful

and there's many reasons for this and

many different characters you can run

but the main reasons why freeze teams

are good are the following first of all

you can run the blizzard straight

artifacts at which is insane it gives

you 50 crowd damage bonus and 40 crit

rate which is the equivalent of 80 crit

damage and that's obviously just an

insane amount of stats really really

good you also get the cryo resonance

when you pair Aika with another crowd

character giving you an additional 15

crit rate and when paired with your 5

Base crit rate that means that your

ayaka will start at 60 crit rate even

with no artifacts that paired with the

crowd damage again makes it to where

it's very easy to build her as all you

need is crit damage and then attack

percent and a bit more crit rate and

you're good to go obviously energy

recharge is nice but ayaka does have

access to an amazing free to play weapon

that gives you a ton of energy on its

effect especially if you refine it other

reasons why Frieze is one of the best

reactions in my opinion is that while

its damage isn't that high blizzard

Strayer basically comes with it and also

you don't take damage when enemies are

frozen they're stuck there they're not

gonna move you can easily combo them and

they won't hit you back this can make it

very comfy and easy to play and also

make it to where you don't really need a

Healer or you don't need a powerful one

if anything on top of that you can group

enemies together within a Nemo support

which you're typically going to be

running in that team to group them all

together freeze them all and then use

your powerful abilities like ayaka's

burst to hit everyone all at once as

they will be Frozen now with that said I

don't want to over hype freeze while I

personally love freeze it's very comfy

and it is good especially with Aika

there are certain factors that make it

better than others in fact while Aika

has free to play friendly teams and

we'll cover that a bit later in the

video certain characters do give her a

pretty big upgrade than the free to play

option like someone like kazua who will

greatly increase your crowd damage

through his passive talents while

sucrose is generally speaking a really

good replacement to kazua and sometimes

even as good her Elemental Mastery is

pretty much useless in a freeze team as

the freeze reaction isn't one that deals

damage whereas kazua's Elemental damage

bonus will actually give you more damage

and so because of that ayaka teams while

they can be free to play friendly and

again we'll cover that later having some

big upgrades can make the team a lot

stronger than without all of those

upgrades although again I want to

reiterate that they aren't necessary the

strength of this is that she has free to

play accessible builds and teams and

also a clear upgrade path with Miss

splitter kazua and then shanha and or

kokomi slash Mona for each of the sloths

of her team and weapon this is an

advantage if you want to invest in those

and you want to pull on those characters

or weapon matters but also a downside in

the sense that it does take a lot for

her to reach her Max potential although

I do want to make it clear that when you

have all of the good upgrades for your

Aika and her teams they can definitely

be sort of meta defining in situations

where they work where you can freeze

enemies a good ayaka kazua shanha team

for example can definitely be one of the

stronger teams to use and definitely a

worthwhile one to invest into especially

once again when freeze Works overall

though I do really love playing a free

Steam for the comfort and the Damage

that you get especially with someone

like Aika and I do believe she's worth

using in a freeze team with that said

the abyss has shifted a lot recently

while I do believe that in the future

especially with aika's run the meta may

change more to help ayaka in situations

where she's better the state of the

Spiral Abyss has been in the past a ton

of groupable enemies that you can freeze

and now it has shifted more to boss

enemies on either one chamber or both

Chambers because of that those enemies

can't be Frozen and Aiko won't really be

ran in your freeze team for that type of

content while a helpful tip that I can

give you is to use a free Steam on

certain Chambers and then get your three

stars and then retry change teams for

another chamber if for example one

chamber can be Frozen and the other one

can't generally speaking against enemies

that can't be frozen aika's best team

will be a mono cryo one now mono crowd

teams aren't bad but they do have a few

weaknesses that hold them back in fact

since you're not freezing enemies or

procking any reactions really other than

just swirling crowd to buff your team it

does mean that you lose out on not only

the convenience of freeze but also the

free 20 crit rate you're gaining from

the blizzard Strayer set in fact the

blizzister set will still be best in

slot on your Ika and on your crowd

characters but you'll only gain 20 crit

rate from its passive as well as the 15

crowd damage bonus so obviously that's

still a really good set is just starting

at a lower Point than freeze because of

that with that said mono crowd does

shine in single Target situations

against bosses which is the weakness of

freeze freeze is really good everywhere

else and then when freeze is weak you

can play a monocrow team so ayaka can

fend for herself and cover her

weaknesses with different teams the one

thing I want to say about monocrow

though is that it does get quite a bit

better with shanha while I don't think

it's dependent on Shanghai like there

are monocraft teams that can work even

without her you can run Kaya Rosaria

Layla anyone like that shangha does buff

your crowd characters damage quite

significantly because of how her kit

Works while cover shanha again in a

separate video she basically just has

really really good Synergy with Crow

units and makes Moto crowd teams that

much better because of that if you have

shenha I do unironically like monocraft

teams if you can't run freeze and you're

fighting a boss monocrow is a perfectly

fine and viable ayaka team that I

believe is underrated if you don't have

shanha you could still play monocryo and

I would still recommend it for bosses

but do keep in mind that this is a team

that depends more on your support

characters than the other ones that we

mentioned having Shanghai and even kazua

as again someone like sucrose is worse

here will both significantly increase

the steam's damage but if you don't have

them you can run any Crow option and

another animal option like even someone

like gene or sucrose and that's sort of

why historically I've not been the

biggest fan of monocryo because while it

does get better with these upgrades

starting at a worse spot than freeze and

not running reactions has always felt

weird to me it's always been like just

add a hydro character but now that the

meta has shifted more towards bosses and

if that's how it's going to be in future

abysses then monocryo will be the way to

go for Aika where she isn't going to be

as meta as when Frieze is usable and

good but will still be a viable option

also ayak has a flex lot in a hyperloom

team can also work quite well and it's

something that I wanted to mention here

but a more obscure team that I will

cover a bit later in the video in more

detail because of that I believe her

power level does depend so should you

pull on her how good is she that's what

I'm going to answer right now when

freeze is meta and you can use freeze

her power level depends on the teams are

running and the upgrades you have while

she has free to play teams like this one

that you see right here and it is

definitely very viable you can even use

the enemy main character if you don't

have sucrose and you can get quite a bit

of value as you can see from just a

basic free-to-play friendly team with

that said your power level will

significantly increase with every single

upgrade being Shanghai kazua and then a

hydro option like Mona or kokomi as well

as Miss splitter which can make your

Aika feel anywhere from pretty decent to

really really strong overall I believe

how much you want to invest in icon

aika's teams will determine how good she

is for you as when you can freeze

enemies the team will be very convenient

and very strong if well invested into

now if the enemy can't be frozen

motocrod teams again follow a similar

path of starting at a worst point

because blizz Australia will give you

less crit rate but it can still be good

if once again you invest into it and

have the adequate characters for it I do

personally believe that monocryo is more

dependent on these upgrades than freeze

at least through my personal experience

as you're starting at a lower Point

personally I really like Aika and I've

never regretted her but I am also

someone who has the investment bias of

having all of these other powerful

characters to be used with her now with

that said I do also want to mention her

other teams while I know a lot of people

don't really like teams that are current

freeze or monocryo and there are many

variations of these if you want to play

them you can also use ayaka either in a

reverse melt team where yes Shang Ling

will partially be carrying but running

shangling Bennett and then another crowd

character will pretty much always just

make a good team as you're going to be

spamming melt reactions on either your

cryo or pyro units do keep in mind

though that because of aika's ICD on her

burst you aren't going to be melting

that many hits but it's okay since

you're running you know shanha and

another crowd character to sort of melt

for themselves as well this team isn't

as recommended though and lastly you can

obviously also run Aika as a burst cryo

support in teams that need one and it's

not bad it is viable but obviously it's

not her main play style and not

typically what I'm going to recommend

but having that flexibility is something

to consider lastly I wanted to mention

that cryo with dendro in general is very

underrated the reason for this is

because of the way auras and dendro

reactions work you can basically use

cryo on dentro and then get more

reactions from every Hydro app you use

get more blooms while also freezing the

enemy and also procking hyperbloom you

can run a hyper fridge team if you will

consisting of a crowd character a dendro

and Electro and a hydro sort of spamming

a bunch of different reactions together

and somehow working surprisingly well

because this team can weirdly perform I

actually think it's another strength to

pretty much any crowd character ayaka

included it's not a meta defining team

but it is one that just works especially

if you can get bonus freezes on enemies

now overall these videos are always a

bit hard for me to include the Nuance of

a character and when they can be used

and good give you my honest thoughts on

their power level without like over or

under hyping them because of that I do

want to reiterate that I believe Aika is

definitely good enough especially if

you're pulling for her as a main DPS and

want to invest into her as that's

typically what you're gonna do one is a

main DPS character that you like in

genjin I've always believed that meta

supports are going to be the most

valuable to pull for and not meta dps's

so characters like nahida kazua yalon

stuff like that and then the DPS

characters should be you know strong but

also enjoyable for you as you're gonna

be spending a lot of time on them

because of that I can confidently say

that if you enjoy Aika you should feel

free and happy to pull for her as she is

a strong unit especially in freeze but

also decent in monocryo especially if if

you do invest into her and get strong

supportive upgrades like kazua Shanghai

and a hydro option with all of them

being optional and are still being fine

without them but obviously each of them

will represent a damage increase and the

more you have the better she will become

I hope I did a good job at explaining

that clarity as that is overall going to

be my take on ayaka's power level and

place in The Meta oh and also a bonus

strength regarding her build is that

since the blizzister set is now

available in the artifact strong box you

can feel free to just get it passively

as you're farming for other characters

and trucking your bad artifacts into

this to build your eye cup this is a

huge advantage and one that I wish I had

with Xiao and his Vermilion set as would

save me tons of resin ayaka also as I

mentioned earlier has access to a really

good free to play sword which is going

to be her best installed 4 star weapon

giving you attack and energy you also

have missed splitter as a viable 5 Star

upgrade and a ton of other weapons in

between depending on what you have when

you pair that with the fact that she can

build a team out of pretty much anything

by just pairing the good elements

together and then also having much

better teams with upgrades I believe

Aika is the character with a lot of pros

and cons but more Pros than cons more

good sides as she is a strong DPS

character that I don't want to over

undersell I want to be careful with that

but I do believe she is a good character

that if you enjoy her play style and

want to use you should feel comfortable

pulling for so yeah I don't want to

review myself that's it I really hope

this guide was helpful and I will have

more detailed videos more guides coming

soon with the reruns and with Mika's

release as well so stay tuned for that

and subscribe if you want to catch them

as they come out with that said I hope

it was helpful and as always I'll catch

you guys in the next one peace

I could Dash Auto attack burst they're

dead they're literally dead

I'm getting

I should have caused us rolled him into

it why did my birth

I'm just trying to play the game